Eric and I got the leaves raked up this weekend, it’s a Sunday Autumn evening, I’m in a contemplative mood, and this recording evokes a strong feeling of nostalgia in me.
[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/dogratcom/Audio/2011/Nov/MR1.mp3|titles=Moon River by Henry Mancini]Category: Life with Pratts
Home, Cold Home
There’s still no electricity at home. The utility company says it should be back on by Wednesday night, but if it isn’t we’ll be looking for a hotel room. I’ve got the fireplace going in the evening, and I can run space heaters off the portable generator. I have a 5-gallon gas container, but I wish the generator’s tank were bigger. We have oil lamps, and they work great. I can see why sperm whales were hunted to near extinction before petroleum took over. My GE Superadio III, 17 years old, has been our primary source of entertainment.
Compliments of great guy Mark Sinnott, here’s a follow-up pic from the Albany Comic Con, with me on the right, with Denro and Joe Sinnott. Men with caps! As always, I make a point of not looking directly into a camera flash, which is painful for somebody who has lattice degeneration.
XPerienced system
It was ten years old today that Windows XP went on sale to the public. Prior to its release I’d been running XP at work for a year in beta form, and knowing it would be a winner I bought a Compaq Presario 5300 desktop computer for Carol on October 25, 2001, as an early birthday present. Three years later, it became Eric’s system when I bought Carol a Compaq Presario 2210 laptop computer. Like the desktop computer it has 512 MB memory and a 40 GB drive, except the desktop came with only 256 MB and 20 GB.
Over the years I’d purchased two Dell desktop systems, and both suffered major motherboard failures, which means I’ll never buy another Dell. Meanwhile, both of the Presarios continue to chug along. Carol is still using the laptop and has no complaints and the desktop, with a USB hard drive attached, is in the basement ripping CDs and running Logitech’s free music server software.
Microsoft will continue supporting Windows XP through April 8, 2014. There are two Windows 7 64-bit systems in the house now, but I have never used Windows Vista at home. Having used Vista at work, I knew it was a clunker.
P.S. This is post number 2500.
Iconic Aunt
This is my late aunt Florence, who I never met (or if I did I was so young I don’t remember), in the mid-1950’s. Isn’t this an awesome photo?
Strong influence on the weak-minded?
A few days ago I was on my last disposable razor when the shaving cream ran out, so I went to Target, intending to buy the same combination of Gillette Foamy and Bic Comfort 3-blade razors that I’ve been using for over two years…
… but then I decided on Barbasol shaving cream and Gillette Custom Plus twin-blade disposals. I thought I had based my purchase solely on price, but today, while going through last week’s New Yorker, I spotted something in an article I’d already read. Hover over the picture to see what it was.
Coincidence, or the power of iconography?
Bamboo and Bambu
What’s this?? What’s this?? Baby Boomers and Seniors being lumped together, for the New England Boomers & Seniors Expo, as if these two very distinct groups are now one and the same?? So it’s come to this at last. Say it ain’t so, marketeers!
I had to go to the dentist Wednesday morning. The office is in a neighboring town. When they were done with me I recalled there’s a CVS somewhere around there, and while walking around looking for it I spotted a small True Value hardware store with bamboo rakes on display out front. Yay! I needed a new rake, and Home Depot and Lowes only carry plastic and metal, so I grabbed one and went inside.
Oh. My. God. The place is a hangout for old, retired guys, futzing around. Most of them look like they’re about 70. They’re the same age as the Beatles! How did they turn into their fathers?? Is this the future that’s fated for all of us Boomer men?? They should be getting stoned and hanging out at a record store, going through bins of used vinyl LPs!
